S&W too big for their britches

[Doc Holliday 1950]

My new S&W 686 plus 3" 357 in magnum's grips are loose and the hex screw has been tightened as can be without stripping it. Also the DA is very heavy. Spoke to CS & was told that there was a "FOUR MONTH WAITNG PERIOD" for my repair.
Four months is utterly ridiculous. I'd expect that from Taurus or Garbage Arms but S&W?
I called a second time just to make sure & got a simliar response. Anyone else experiencing this absurd response?

[TunnelRat]

Their backlog may actually be that long for some reason. Not sure. That certainly is beyond what I consider reasonable. I'm not sure they are doing that simply because they think they can.

If you were interested in fixing something now, I'd try either Loctite or VibraTite on that screw. That should take care of it. As for a DA being very heavy, in my experience new production S&W revolvers are often that way. In the old days you could swap out the hammer spring. Might be able to do the same. This isn't me giving S&W a pass, I'm just giving you alternatives to fixing this now.

[Carmady]

I feel your pain, you're so ticked you posted this in the semi-auto forum.

Your grips are loose in what direction?

The grip screw won't hold the grips still, as in tight to the frame?

Or, do the grips cover the frontstrap and backstrap, and want to rock a little forwards and backwards?

[HighValleyRanch]

Doc, grip screws are only meant to hold the grips on, not to keep them in place like a clamp.
Over tightening the single grip screw only causes the grips eventually have more play as you are finding out.

The problem in slipping is always the locating pin hole is enlarging as the action of the recoil affects the sideways play in the hole. Use something like epoxy or JB weld in the hole to bed it and that should take care of any movement. The other locating factor are the discs at the top of the smith grips to keep them centered in the frame.

If you grips are moving at the top, then it is the discs, if your grips are moving at the bottom, then it's the locating pin hole, NOT THE SCREWS.

Are they wrap around grips or side panel type grips?

Also, maybe this should be posted in the revolver section?

[Doc Holliday 1950]

Ok. If you hold the 686 normally by the grips
in one hand & place the other on the barrel &
rock the barrel up & down the frame moves up & down.
Yes , I was so ticked off I posted this in the Semi
Section instead of the revolver section.
Sorry guys! I’ll talk to my GS about
Working on the DA. Thanks for the advice.

[AK103K]

I have a 686+ 2.5", as well as a plain old 686 2.5" 6 shot. I replaced the grips on both with the Hogue Bantam's. Much more comfortable grip, and more comfortable to shoot with as well. May also help with the trigger pull issue.

The factory grips offset your trigger finger farther from the trigger, reducing leverage. Both my 686's have nice factory DA triggers, but you can feel a difference in them between the grips.

The factory grips also have a spine that resembles a rounded "knife edge", and that recoil gets concentrated into that edge, and makes the felt recoil more noticeable.

The Hogues leave the backstrap exposed, and the rear of the grips have a flatter radius, which spreads the recoil across the palm of your hand, and are much more comfortable to shoot with.

Not having the offset with the grips also places your trigger finger where it belongs.

I have a number of S&W revolvers that came with those factory grips, and all have been replaced with Hogues.

One other thing to consider here too, trigger wise, is the strain screw. Both of my 686's had them backed out (as did my 696 and 629), making for a lighter feeling trigger. I was having light strikes with both. Tightened the screw up solid, and the misfires stopped. I didnt really notice the trigger being much heavier for doing so either.

[Doc Holliday 1950]

Thanks for the tip on the houges. Will try it out.

Many Thanks.

[buck460XVR]

With the high amount of sales in the gun industry, I'd expect Customer Service to be having a lag in return time. At least you were given a time frame of what to expect. I'd make sure it shot well and there were no other issues before I sent it in. Are they the TALO wood grips? I'd make sure the grips are what I want or try something else besides just sending it in for that. As for the action, they can do a trigger job on it for ya as long as they got it, but for the most part, simply getting some snap caps an dry firing it or just shooting the crap outta it for a while will do wonders.

[joed]

Every S&W revolver I purchased new takes awhile to break in. I would just shoot as much as possible now and it will get better.

[jackmoser65]

Absurd? It's Smith & Wesson not Walmart.

I believe I'd invest in some decent grips over the factory POS before I'd bother sending it back to the mothership.

[ms6852]

There long wait could be due that many people buy smith and Wesson like me and that like many idiots (me) strips the gun down beyond their skill level and have to send them in to put it together. I did this last year and they told me to send it. This is on an old gun. They sent me a shipping label and instruction on how to ship it, told me it would be about 6 weeks and than 4 weeks later they send me back my gun. I did not pay one red cent. I thought it was pretty awesome since I screwed up.

[FITASC]

was told that there was a "FOUR MONTH WAITNG PERIOD" for my repair.

Took me close to that to get my broken 66-2 back.........what happens when quality is not built in up-front but relies on fixing it on the back end

[Drm50]

This is exactly why I stick mostly to P&Rs. Although have not had any issues with any blue S&Ws.

[FITASC]

EXCEPT, when one of those guns finally has something break, like mine did after almost 40 years, then you wait AND pay

[FoghornLeghorn]

Doc, I put some Herrett Trooper walnut stocks on a Colt Python and they did the same thing. The tolerances were just too generous for a snug fit. I put some fine grit sandpaper, grit facing away from the gun, in the grips. It snugged up fine.

As far as a heavy DA trigger pull. That's not an uncommon issue with Smith. I've read other complaints about that and re solutions, I mostly read for the owner to buy snap caps and dry fire the gun about a million times.

[Doc Holliday 1950]

Don’t think I’m nit picking. This is my first
smith & its accuracy is terrific. Guess I was
Expecting old school perfection. I’ll change
Out the grips & I do have the snap caps.
Looks like I’m in for s long hot summer,

[O4L]

Originally Posted by Drm50

This is exactly why I stick mostly to P&Rs. Although have not had any issues with any blue S&Ws.

Yes, P&Rs as much as possible and nothing with the infernal lock.

[Drm50]

Originally Posted by FITASC

EXCEPT, when one of those guns finally has something break, like mine did after almost 40 years, then you wait AND pay

I have a good sized collection of S&Ws and have had very little problems. Unless it is major
the lock work parts are not that hard to get. I have had to replace broken main springs in
a few and minor parts. I never had a issue that needed sent in to S&W. In fact only guns
I sent in were to have barrels installed, and not because of bad barrel just different size.
Haven't sent one in since 80s but I know situation there has changed for CS. In fact I don't
think they service a lot of the older models anymore.

[Doc Holliday 1950]

But that's not the why I'm taking umbrage to S&W's CS people. This is a brand new 686+ 357in magnum revolver. The grips are fitted poorly & the DA pull is much harder than any Ruger,Taurus,Colt or EAA revolver that I've ever bought.
I've put about 800 plus rounds thru it mostly 38 spP+'s, & about 20% full bore 357 mag ammo. It's like paying for a Mustang & getting a Pinto.(my age is showing). What really adds insult to injury is the supposed 4 month wait for a very simple job. If I had done this garbage in my business when I owned my company, I would have been "OUT OF BUSINESS" quicker that you can say Jack Flash.

[DPris]

Some years ago, S&W moved the position of the frame notch for the bottom end of the mainspring forward slightly.
This was part of their approach to drop safety & has resulted in stiffer DA trigger pulls out of the factory than what they used to be.

I don't know if S&W would do anything about your trigger without charging you for an action job.
Most likely it'd just come back with an "In Specs" notation about the trigger pull.
Denis

[603Country]

I recently bought a 686+, and intended to put the Python back in the safe. After shooting them both a bunch, it was obvious that the Python was a better shooter, due to better DA and SA trigger pull. Well, that was to be expected. I took the 686 to a gunsmith in Waco and he polished up the action in the Smith. Now the trigger pull in SA and DA are great, and accuracy is great. I can’t honestly say that i can shoot the Python in DA better than the 686 now.

Grips are Hogue, and i like them a lot.

[stinkeypete]

Sorry to hear your new pistol is just not correct. I’ve had several thoughts:

1. Back in the “golden Days”... how much did folks pay for one of the pistols we all wish we could afford now? If we adjust for inflation, how would the old pistol compare in cost to the new one? I suspect all things considered, a quality pistol costs less today than it did 50 years ago. Of course, we don’t have the pot-metal cheap pistols around, but I don’t mind that. I’ve had a few of them and they were flimsy at best.

2. Used to be there were several decent gunsmiths in town, and a couple of stellar pistol smiths within 50 miles. These days, It’s an expensive shipment out of state or more likely I learn to fix it myself. Sounds like Doc’s problem could maybe be fixed right up quick by a gunsmith before it ever got sold.

It’s a sign of the times, I guess

[lefteye]

P&Rs?

[HighValleyRanch]

P&Rs?

Stands for PRECISE AND RETRO..........
(from the Pinned and recessed period of Smith and Wessons)

[O4L]

Originally Posted by lefteye

P&Rs?

Pinned barrels and recessed cylinders.